Dynamic Light Scattering Microrheology of Phase-Separated Poly(vinyl) Alcohol-Phytagel Blends

In this investigation, we explored the microrheological characteristics of dilute hydrogels composed exclusively of Poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA), Phytagel (PHY), and a blend of the two in varying concentrations. Each of these polymers has established applications in the biomedical field, such as drug d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polymers 2024-10, Vol.16 (20), p.2875
Main Authors: Ghosh, Richa, Bentil, Sarah A, Juárez, Jaime J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Dilution
Drug delivery systems
Drugs
Experiments
Frequency ranges
Hypotheses
Loss modulus
Miscibility
Molecular structure
Molecular weight
Phase separation
Phase transitions
Photon correlation spectroscopy
Polymer blends
Polymers
Polyvinyl alcohol
Rheological properties
Rheology
Scattering
Vehicles
Viscoelasticity
Viscosity
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Summary:In this investigation, we explored the microrheological characteristics of dilute hydrogels composed exclusively of Poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA), Phytagel (PHY), and a blend of the two in varying concentrations. Each of these polymers has established applications in the biomedical field, such as drug delivery and lens drops. This study involved varying the sample concentrations from 0.15% to 0.3% ( / ) to assess how the concentration influenced the observed rheological response. Two probe sizes were employed to examine the impact of the size and verify the continuity hypothesis. The use of two polymer blends revealed their immiscibility and tendency to undergo phase separation, as supported by the existing literature. Exploring the microrheological structure is essential for a comprehensive understanding of the molecular scale. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was chosen due to its wide frequency range and widespread availability. The selected dilute concentration range was hypothesized to fall within the transition from an ergodic to a non-ergodic medium. Properly identifying the sample's nature during an analysis-whether it is ergodic or not-is critical, as highlighted in the literature. The obtained results clearly demonstrate an overlap in the results for the storage (G') and loss moduli (G″) for the different probe particle sizes, confirming the fulfillment of the continuum hypothesis.
ISSN:2073-4360
2073-4360
DOI:10.3390/polym16202875